brown is a former aide to senator edward kennedy and adviser to jesse jackson. he declared, "i did not run on the basis of race, but i will not run away from it." >> seven years later, ron brown was on a trade mission in croatia when he and 34 other people were killed in a plane crash. >>> today, president obama's looking forward to his state of the union address scheduled for thursday nig tuesday night, but this day in 2007, then senator obama went to springfield, illinois, to make an announcement. >> i stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the united states of america. >> reporter: at the state house where abraham lincoln called on a divided nation to unite, obama pledged to bridge a political divide, offering himself as part of a new generation that can build a more hopeful america. >> let's be the generation that makes future generations proud of what we did here. >> thank you. >> reporter: facing a field of political veterans, he played his newcomer status as an asset. >> i know that i haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways